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Public Transit Cops/Security Guards

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
Years
  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
Does anyone else find it funny that they say they are protecting the riders when they're really protecting the transit operators' profits?

The light rail trains here are built so that anyone can walk on without paying. That's the first error. If they're goal is to avoid people getting free rides, why not have ways to prevent unpaid passengers from boarding in the first place.

Also what's the point in charging $200 for failing to produce a $2 ticket? The answer: Profit! If the fine was $2 or even $50 that would be understandable since that is about the price of a monthly pass.

I've figured this is the transit companies plan to increase their profit, These "Protective Services" officers never used to show up before the budget cuts and usually only cited people who really never meant pay vs. people who forgot the few times they did appear.

In general, profit motive is okay, but this is profit at the abuse of the poor. Who rides public transit? Mostly people who cannot afford to drive or youth too young to drive. They planned this out on purpose. They made the trains accessible without fare, and they trained these officers to collect the fines so their CEOs can drive a Mercedez while some poor student or working-class family man is paying for it.

I've also seen incidents where a person has been mugged at train stations and these officers were too busy writing citations to assist. They took a report only after allowing the assaliants 10 minutes to escape.
 
7,741
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17
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  • Seen Sep 18, 2020
Does anyone else find it funny that they say they are protecting the riders when they're really protecting the transit operators' profits?
Not at all. Behold: capitalism.

On an aside, I always thought trams were free. Never ridden one though.
 

.Fenris

Just a bystander, don't shoot!
291
Posts
14
Years
Does anyone else find it funny that they say they are protecting the riders when they're really protecting the transit operators' profits?

The light rail trains here are built so that anyone can walk on without paying. That's the first error. If they're goal is to avoid people getting free rides, why not have ways to prevent unpaid passengers from boarding in the first place.

Also what's the point in charging $200 for failing to produce a $2 ticket? The answer: Profit! If the fine was $2 or even $50 that would be understandable since that is about the price of a monthly pass.

I've figured this is the transit companies plan to increase their profit, These "Protective Services" officers never used to show up before the budget cuts and usually only cited people who really never meant pay vs. people who forgot the few times they did appear.

In general, profit motive is okay, but this is profit at the abuse of the poor. Who rides public transit? Mostly people who cannot afford to drive or youth too young to drive. They planned this out on purpose. They made the trains accessible without fare, and they trained these officers to collect the fines so their CEOs can drive a Mercedez while some poor student or working-class family man is paying for it.

I've also seen incidents where a person has been mugged at train stations and these officers were too busy writing citations to assist. They took a report only after allowing the assaliants 10 minutes to escape.

Sounds like some of the rent-a-cops down here, because the last time I had to walk through some backstreets, one screamed and I quote: "hey, you dumb*** punk, get the **** of the property!!" Later, someone was getting jumped, and I had to fight the guy, while the guard just stood there. Shithead took off while I called the police and the guard kept standing there.
 

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
Years
  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
Not at all. Behold: capitalism.

On an aside, I always thought trams were free. Never ridden one though.

The transit system was supposed to be a public service. At least it was back in the good ol' days.
 
246
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14
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I can't really say that I have much experience in this matter, I've never used public transit (bar a school bus.) So, I haven't experienced these Public Transit Cops, or whatever you wish to call them. Though, the price for not producing two dollars does seem outrageous, and most likely just a way to get money. Power corrupts. They have the power to charge you that much.
 
1,544
Posts
15
Years
There was actually an incident of violence at a city transit centre on Wednesday morning (7.30-ish). Car rolls up, and teeneage kid gets stabbed in the back by most from the car. Kid recovers, gets released later.

Transit fair is cheap in Freakyloc town. I gotta pay $2.75 for a two hour transfer slip. $74 for monthly pass.

Most victims get snaked for their iPods. Harsh when there are these beatings as most drivers I've seen are older adults. Not many young adults driving the bus. There is motion for those shield things for safety. At least city council is moving for solution.
 

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
Years
  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
I can't really say that I have much experience in this matter, I've never used public transit (bar a school bus.) So, I haven't experienced these Public Transit Cops, or whatever you wish to call them. Though, the price for not producing two dollars does seem outrageous, and most likely just a way to get money. Power corrupts. They have the power to charge you that much.

I've actually seen $900 dollar fines. I don't remeber what is the $200 violation and what is the $900 one.

I'm trying to get people involved. I'm going to attend the tranist operator's public meeting with an angry mob.

An idea we've been doing is to call the police for every single little thing we see. I do this a lot with the panhandlers downtown. The idea is to force to government to use up resources as payback for them squeezing money out of us. I make sure we only do this to departments that these transit officers work for and not innocent departments who are doing the community good.
 

Throat

Oldschool pokemon
346
Posts
14
Years
Well, Brazil has worse problems with public transport.

Anyways, if you expect a good service, you need to pay for it.
 

Yusshin

♪ Yggdrasil ♪
2,414
Posts
14
Years
My fiance was visiting his parents in a city South of Montreal where the only way to acquire a train ticket was by a machine.

It was the last train that day and he went to purchase a ticket at the machine, but it was out-of-order. Since he needed to work the next day, he stowed on the train without a ticket, and was caught + charged 250$ for a 6$ ticket.

I believe it's stupid to charge so much, machine or not. The fact it was their fault for having an out-of-order machine should contribute to the final judgment as well. It wasn't his fault; it was the government's for not paying more attention to the state of their ticket distributors / not putting a ticket personnel on-hand to purchase tickets from.
 

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
Years
  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
My fiance was visiting his parents in a city South of Montreal where the only way to acquire a train ticket was by a machine.

It was the last train that day and he went to purchase a ticket at the machine, but it was out-of-order. Since he needed to work the next day, he stowed on the train without a ticket, and was caught + charged 250$ for a 6$ ticket.

I believe it's stupid to charge so much, machine or not. The fact it was their fault for having an out-of-order machine should contribute to the final judgment as well. It wasn't his fault; it was the government's for not paying more attention to the state of their ticket distributors / not putting a ticket personnel on-hand to purchase tickets from.

If someone really truly forgot to purchase a ticket or the machine was out of order. Allow them to purchase it on the train. Hell they have the inspectors there anyway so it's not they would need extra people.
 

Yusshin

♪ Yggdrasil ♪
2,414
Posts
14
Years
Yeah lol It was stupid; he was charged 250$ because the machine was out-of-order. Like you and I said, put ticket personnel. You can't trust a machine to always work.
 
7,741
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  • Seen Sep 18, 2020
The transit system was supposed to be a public service. At least it was back in the good ol' days.
Privatisation has a habit of sidetracking these things, you see...

'Free' state-owned transit paid for by taxes, end of problem. Ideally it would encourage people in cars to use the buses and trains they're now paying for. To assure that everyone can pay them, taxes should be proportionate to income. :D People would then whine about that being unfair, but really the fact that people have different incomes in the first place is what's unfair since most every job in society provides a necessary function.

So, out comes the communist in me. Just what I think.
 

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
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  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
Yeah lol It was stupid; he was charged 250$ because the machine was out-of-order. Like you and I said, put ticket personnel. You can't trust a machine to always work.

Oooh and isn't $250 Canadian dollars more than $250 U.S.?

Privatisation has a habit of sidetracking these things, you see...

'Free' state-owned transit paid for by taxes, end of problem. Ideally it would encourage people in cars to use the buses and trains they're now paying for. To assure that everyone can pay them, taxes should be proportionate to income. :D People would then whine about that being unfair, but really the fact that people have different incomes in the first place is what's unfair since most every job in society provides a necessary function.

So, out comes the communist in me. Just what I think.

I still maintain taxes should be a flat rate. I belive in capitalism but I do agree that some services should be for the public good like transit, education, etc.
 

Melody

Banned
6,460
Posts
19
Years
Hahaha. I'd like to try to see a rent-a-cop try to make me pay an insane "fine" for something like that.

Simple fact of the matter is, all rent-a-cops have no real authority, and so they can't stop a fight legally. All they can do is stand there and look dumb, and whine for the cops to come if a law really gets broken. :3

Other than that, they're real push-overs. You just gotta threaten them with a lawsuit and they pee their pants. :33
 

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
Years
  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
Hahaha. I'd like to try to see a rent-a-cop try to make me pay an insane "fine" for something like that.

Simple fact of the matter is, all rent-a-cops have no real authority, and so they can't stop a fight legally. All they can do is stand there and look dumb, and whine for the cops to come if a law really gets broken. :3

Other than that, they're real push-overs. You just gotta threaten them with a lawsuit and they pee their pants. :33

Ha! I'm so sure if they are sworn officers or just security guards. Someone told me they are actually cops.
 

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'
9,875
Posts
16
Years
We have actual cops check for fares on our light rail trams, but that takes manpower away from actual violent crime which is all too prevalent in our city.

Public transportation in general is sketchy. I had to ride the bus last night and the guy next to me was rolling a joint and selling to the guy across the aisle. And of course the 60-something bus driver can't do a thing about it:/
 

FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot
3,498
Posts
14
Years
  • Seen Aug 29, 2018
We have actual cops check for fares on our light rail trams, but that takes manpower away from actual violent crime which is all too prevalent in our city.

Public transportation in general is sketchy. I had to ride the bus last night and the guy next to me was rolling a joint and selling to the guy across the aisle. And of course the 60-something bus driver can't do a thing about it:/

There was a gang-related homicide a few weeks ago and I personally blamed the transit officers for the young man's death stating if they weren't too busy collecting money for VTA he would still be alive.
 
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